Why upakarma done?
Many of our youngsters who were studying in convents have totally forgotten our culture and traditions but this is not their mistake but the education system totally westernized without moral and ethical values For every function or vrata in our culture there is a cause to do it Accordingly many of our youngers routinely change the yagyopaveeta on upakarma day not intentionally but at the insistence of the elders without knowing why this is to be done
Upakarma is one of the important annual vedic, rituals prescribed by our elders. The ritual includes propitating sages, seeking their bleesings & wearing a new Yagnopaveetha.
In Utsarjanam, Karta seeks pardon for acts of omission in not following vedic rituals regularly in prescribed forms. He prays for new energy & rejuvenation of his strengths. This aspect is integrated in Sankalpa mantras.In our culture, after completion of upanayana, we are supposed to learn Vedas. Normally in olden days the Vedas are taught only in gurukulams and since the children are of young age, the dharma sastra has prescribed some method to learn vedaas and veda angams like, niruktam, chandas, meemaamsa, vyaakaranam etc. During the time of Vidya Abhyaasam a Brhmachari is supposed to learn the Vedas and other Vidyas thus for periods of two terms each alternately and complete such studies in 12 years!
Even when you are not teaching anybody, you have to retain what you have learnt, without forgetting, is it not so? The process of chanting and committing it to memory is a lifelong endeavour! In Dharma Saastraas, the details of Upaakarma and Utsarjana are given in the portion describing Gruhasta Dharma and not in the part covering the Brhmacharya Dharma. Till education was considered as part of an approach towards divinity, starting with Brhma Upadesa, all learning was an effort in that direction. There is a function known as ‘Sama- Aavartanam’, which meant that you have completed all learning and are now ready to step into the world as a house holder. There is a marked difference in the way the Upaakarma is to be done by the Brhmachari who is yet to do the Sama-Avartanam and the house holder who has completed Sama-Aavartanam. Evidently the second procedure is for the married man so that he may not forget what he has learnt of the Vedas! It is known as ‘DhaaraNam’. Some Rishis have very clearly directed that even a married man should consider himself as a student when it comes to studying and reviving his knowledge of the Vedas, throughout his life!
Veda Adhyayanam was performed only during the period sravanam/Avani to pushyam/Tai (from mid-August to mid-January). Therefore, one is supposed to perform an "utsarjanam" in the month of (pushyam)Tai, i.e., a giving up of the learning of Vedas from Tai(pushyam) to (sravamam)Avani. Just like a Upakarma function there was a Utsarjana function in Pushyam/ Tai. The period between January to August was then devoted to learning other branches of our shastras. Thus the cycle of Upakarma and Utsarjana with regard to Vedic studies was established.
The sankalpam is mainly taken for performing the Upakarma Homam. Then we say tad angam snAnam karishye, tad angam yajnopavIta-dhAraNam karishye, tad angam rshi tarpaNam karishye -- which implies that all other activities like snaanam, yajnopaveeta dhaaranam, tarpanam etc., are only performed as an 'angam' or subsidiary to the Upakarma Homam (which is the angi or primary).
In the Upakarma Homam as well as in the tarpanam, the offerings are made to the rishis. In fact this tarpanam is so important that it is included as part of our nitya karma-anushthaanam, our daily worship. There are other minor points that are worth noting:
1. Brahmacharis should wear maunji (belt made of sacred grass), ajinam (deerskin) and dandam (stick made of palaasa wood) after they wear the poonool (sacred thread). There are separate mantras for each.
2. It is said that: purAtanAn parityajya which implies that you should wear a new set of clothes (veshti and uttarIyam) before the tarpanam and homam.
3. It is also said that: kAndarshi tarpaNa-kAle punaH snAtvA Ardra vastra eva tat kuryAt, i.e, before performing the rishi tarpanam you should once again take a dip in the water and do it with new dried clothes
4. The rishi tarpanam is done with the upaveetam in the nivita position (like a garland)
5. you should do fast on the Upakarma day or at least fast till the end.
